Carbon Man Gets Warrant Dismissed Carbon Courts

October 04, 1985|The Morning Call

A bench warrant against a Nesquehoning man was dismissed yester-day after Carbon County Court Judge John P. Lavelle ruled an "honest mistake" prevented him from attending a pre-trial conference scheduled for last month.

Dean W. Tessitore, 24, of 204 W. High St., charged with three counts of persistent disorderly conduct after he allegedly was involved in several acts of vandalism in the borough, was scheduled to appear at a pre-trial conference on Sept. 3.

When he did not appear, he was picked up on Sept. 7 in Nesquehoning and has been in the county prison since then.

The defendant told Lavelle he misunderstood a notice sent to him informing him that he had to appear on Sept. 3 for a pre-trial conference.

He said that because he has difficulty reading he thought the letter told him to appear for the conference on Sept. 16, the date the juries were selected for the last term of court.

After having the defendant read the letter out loud, the judge noted he believed Tessitore did not really know what the notice said.

"When arraigning an individual like this, we must be very careful they understand their responsibilities," Lavelle said.

Defense attorney Thomas McCready said the defendant has since had a pre- trial conference, and the district attorney's office has agreed that if Tessitore will be evaluated by the Carbon-Monroe-Pike County Drug and Alcohol program and follows their recommendations, the charges will be dismissed to summary offenses.